Part 2 of the 4-part post series interweaving George Lucas' words in a curated meta post. Here's PART 1, here's PART 2.5.
In George Lucas' words:
The Fall and Return of Anakin Skywalker
Anakin's status quo at the start of the film.
In Episode II, Anakin is a teenager. A petulant, whiny, pain in the ass teenager, and I hate to say it, but that's what a lot of teenagers are!
He is a little cocky, a little sure of himself, and constantly chafing a little bit with Obi-Wan. That said, it's worth pointing out that Obi-Wan and Anakin actually like each other.
Their introduction scene was, in fact, a reshoot, that came from George wanting to emphasize the fact that the two are partners and friends, and even though thereâs a little bit of tension between the two of them, throughout the film, where they're at each other's throats, they do have a history of warm friendship, off-screen.
Even though Obi-Wan is a "stern taskmaster" and mentor, he still cares about Anakin. And heâs more frustrated with their relationship and Anakinâs unwillingness to go along with the rules, whereas Anakin feels he is being held back by Obi-Wan.
They both have a point. Because while Anakin is indeed a gifted person, very talented, there is a constant dichotomy of "Anakin's lack of discipline vs his natural talent" at play.
In every set-piece, we think that [Anakin's] gone a little bit too far and made a mistake, and then you realize that heâs actually very clever. And then, sometimes, it's the opposite. We think he's got this, and actually... he doesn't.
The fact is that, being the Chosen One, Anakin is slightly more powerful than other people, which means he is slightly ahead of himself at all times.
We also get a little sense that Anakin has some relationship with Palpatine and that he likes Palpatine, his other mentor figure.Â
The chancellor's place in Anakin's life isn't helpful, as we can see that Palpatine is sort of boosting his ego to make him feel that he's better than possibly he really is.
A lot of Anakin's philosophies and some of Anakin's dialog later on - about how he should be allowed more freedom, more assignments - come from Palpatine.
So on the one hand, things aren't perfect. For someone in Anakin's situation, the ability to do evil is much easier to come by. The issues he struggles with are the same issues that everybody struggles with, the fact that sometimes they donât consider the consequences of what theyâre doing because itâs not expedient.
On the other hand, Anakin is still essentially a good kid, and he's determined to be greatest among the Jedi. It's not that he has evil intentions, but in this film we see how he's under some pressure and we start to realize that some new temptations are coming his way.
These new temptations come in the shape of:
the nightmares of his mother
and the reunion with his beloved PadmĂŠ.
Anakin & PadmĂŠ - from attraction to love
When PadmĂŠ re-enters his life, the film shifts into a story about Anakin's dealing with his emotions, the difficulty of his being torn between his duty as a Jedi who swore to serve the Republic, and his emotional needs, which relate to PadmĂŠ.
Back in Episode I, Anakin had a crush on her when he was little. She dismissed him because he was just a little kid, but she liked him, like as with a puppy. Now, sheâs grown up. And she's beginning to see him as an attractive young man.
As they are paired together, we go back and forth between them - as two young people having feelings for each other - and them, in the context of her position as a Senator, and his position as a Jedi.
She's more disciplined, whereas he's naive, especially around her. He's never been in a situation like this before, so heâs falling in love, but he doesnât really know it. And it is forbidden.
There are social barriers that have been put up and there's a practical reality of what would happen to them in the future, if they were to let their emotions run wild.Â
They're both government officials who have made a commitment toward the Republic and its citizens. Seeing as neither of them is willing to quit, duty dictates that they renounce their love, and dedicate their lives selflessly to carrying on with their responsibilities.
After he spills his guts out to her and she refuses to go along with him, Anakin does realize that, yes, this would not be a good idea⌠because it would jeopardize his career, it'd jeopardize her, and it probably wouldn't be a good thing.
But they do love each other. Theyâre truly in love with each other.
Itâs the issue of "true love over duty." Itâs really the "Romeo and Juliet" aspect of it, of a doomed relationship, in more ways than one really.
And eventually... they give in. This culminates with an idyllic situation on Naboo, where Anakin and PadmĂŠ are getting married in what appears to be a somewhat happy ending.
But Anakin and PadmĂŠ's marriage is not gonna work. It is a complex, slightly dysfunctional relationship because, to Anakin, sheâs much more than a wife. And it will only become clear too late to PadmĂŠ that she married the wrong guy.
It's only when you put it in the context of the bigger story that you see the handwriting on the wall.
You notice flaws in Anakin's personality that are going to sink him in the end, as hinted by his metal hand, and the fated "Darth Vader influence" it implies.
Anakin & Shmi - from love to attachment
When we're talking about Anakin's flaws, many of them are established in Episode II.
His emotions run amok... moreso now that he's falling in love.
He's undisciplined... as teenagers tend to be.
He's arrogant... but with exceptional powers like his (and the constant egging on from Palpatine), it's easy to see why.
However, there is, one flaw that comes back to haunt him, all the way back from Episode I. Anakin has a fear of losing things, namely the fear of losing his mother.
The fact that everything must change and that things come and go through his life and that he canât hold onto things is a basic Jedi philosophy that he isnât willing to accept emotionally.
And as a result, he wants to begin to control things, he wants to become more powerful. And these are not Jedi traits.
Part of the reason for this flaw is because he was raised by his mother rather than the Jedi.
He started to be trained so late in life, that he had already formed these attachments. And for a Jedi, attachment is forbidden. You can love people, but you have to love them unconditionally, in terms that you canât hold on to them.
If heâd have been taken in his first year and started to study to be a Jedi, he would have been trained to love people without getting attached to them.
But Anakin has confused possessive love with compassionate love.
Because he was unwilling to let go of his mother, because he was so attached to her, he committed this terrible revenge on the Tusken Raiders. This is the first act that ultimately takes him on the road to the Dark Side.
And in the aftermath of this... he is very sad and depressed. Horrified at his actions.
But what heâs really upset about is the fact that heâs not powerful enough. He voices jealousy and anger at Obi-Wan, he blames everyone else for his inability to be as powerful as he wants to be, and he hears all the time from Palpatine that he will be.
He tells himself that "if he had more power, he couldâve kept his mother, he couldâve saved her and she couldâve been in his life."
Down the line, he will also become attached to PadmĂŠ and these things are - for a Jedi, who needs to have a clear mind and not be influenced by threats to their attachments - a dangerous situation.
Because whereas a good Jedi overcomes their flaws and kinda goes above the normal human tragedy that most people have to experience, Anakin doubles down on this crucial flaw, which feeds into his fear of losing things, and grows into greed and wanting to keep his "possessions," and things that he should be letting go of.
Attack of the Clones Commentary Tracks #1 and #2, 2002
Mythmaking: Behind the Scenes of 'Attack of the Clones', 2002
Primissima, p. 32, May Issue, 2002Â
Attack of the Clones, âStoryâ Featurette, 2002
Starlog Magazine #337, 2005
The Star Wars Archives: 1999-2005, 2020
